Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Complete Empire (4)
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The Knight Brigade.
It was the military's most elite combat unit, one that had supported the 1st Prince. A brigade-level force composed entirely of elite knights, it was the declining Philius Empire's final blade.
On the day of the Bloody Funeral, when the sanctuary came under attack, the brigade commander met his end there.
The 1st Prince, critically wounded himself, had commanded the military—his most vital base of support—to aid Raymond with his dying breath. Yet that final wish went largely unheeded.
A few had acted swiftly, but most spent their time eyeing one another, biding their moment while walking a razor's edge. Raymond was left to fight alone.
The Philius Empire's vaunted absolute imperial authority was a tale from ancient times. Now, alongside the empire's decline, that authority had lost much of its power. The Mountain Duke's rebellion was proof enough—it fell short of being called a complete empire.
But the Knight Brigade had no plans to sit idly by forever. The first to march in support of Raymond was Viscount Dirk, a senior knight under Count Ratiel and attached to the brigade. His report reached the capital headquarters, and from there, the elders began to stir quietly.
"Who sneaks in like an assassin at this late hour?"
"Sir Ivan—or should I say Brigade Commander now?"
A knight in a red uniform emerged from the shadows behind the terrace, grinning as he spoke. Ivan let out a short sigh and shook his head before replying.
"It's only temporary, Sir Billian."
Ivan, a high-ranking knight and captain of the Imperial Capital Guard, was also an elder in the Knight Brigade. Closest to the 1st Prince among the elders and deeply loyal, with skills to match, he had been leading the brigade ever since its commander fell in the sanctuary.
That said, the position was provisional at best. It lacked the former commander's full authority, while the elders' influence had grown.
"Temporary or not, what does it matter? With me and most of the voting elders behind you, the brigade hasn't fractured yet."
"The brigade's will isn't unified. The elders may back me, but aren't you all casting votes against His Majesty the Emperor right now?"
"That's why I brought you some news you'll like, Sir Ivan. Mind if I sit?"
Ivan silently pulled out another glass and filled it without a word. It was permission clear as day. Billian grinned, took the seat across from him, and accepted the drink.
"I'm curious what kind of good news this is. Out with it."
"Do you remember Viscount Dirk? A noble from a knightly house under Count Ratiel, and one of our senior knights."
"One of our brigade's knights, isn't he?"
With over two thousand members in the Knight Brigade, he couldn't recall every face and name, but he knew the key figures and officers.
"I know he was the first to draw his sword in service to His Majesty the Emperor."
Not every knight in the brigade had hesitated to stand by the emperor's side. A few, like Viscount Dirk, had charged to the forefront ahead of all others.
"His Majesty himself marched to Belphian's central city and took the Mountain Duke's head."
"His Majesty personally went all the way to Belphian's central city?"
"I don't have the full details, but it's confirmed—the Mountain Duke is dead."
Ivan's eyes gleamed at Billian's explanation.
"The Central Intelligence Agency will act soon. Under Viscount Denitz's command, the newly formed Imperial Propaganda Department plans to spread word of His Majesty's exploits far and wide."
"Good news indeed."
"Now those heavy-bottomed elders will have to move."
The Knight Brigade's elders had ignored the 1st Prince's dying wish, anticipating a victory for Belphian's domain army so they could position themselves favorably later. But with the Mountain Duke dead at the emperor's hand, the board had shifted.
Those within the brigade who had been watching the Mountain Duke and others, or hanging back to test the emperor's mettle, now had no choice but to act.
"Sir Billian."
"Your orders, Sir Ivan."
"By authority as acting brigade commander, I'll convene the high council. Mobilize magic communications and messengers to gather the elders."
"For the Philius Empire, I gladly accept your command."
The Knight Brigade was mobilizing in earnest. For the emperor and the empire.
"The knight order has been annihilated!"
"Our lines are collapsing!"
The Belphian domain army's commander gritted his teeth amid the barrage of desperate reports.
The nobles of the knightly houses, who formed the domain army's core, refused to commit their forces. Only the Mountain Duke's direct retainer knights had sallied forth to support the thousand-strong knight order against the ravaging three thousand Imperial Army troops.
But they were too few to halt the Imperial Army's charge. The front lines crumbled in moments, and as the Imperial troops penetrated deep into their formation and rampaged, chaos erupted into a full melee.
"Your Majesty! We've pushed too far! We must link up with our knight order!"
Marquis Blizzard rode close and shouted. Despite the din of battle, his mana-infused voice carried clearly. Raymond turned to glance at the rear.
"We've come too far."
Belphian's front lines had shattered more easily than expected, luring them deep in the heat of victory.
"Sir Cassius! Can you regroup the Imperial Army?"
"It's possible, but it'll take time!"
The enemy commander wasn't a fool. He had baited the triumphant Imperial Army, goading them to scatter, then plugged the gaps with heavy infantry and knights to hinder any regrouping or retreat.
"Your Majesty! The enemy has cut off our retreat!"
Before their own knight order could arrive, Belphian's heavy infantry had moved first.
"We're isolated! There are too many of them!"
"Imperial Army, form a defensive circle!"
"The shields of the imperial house will protect His Majesty with our lives!"
Amid the chaos, as the Imperial Army and Royal Guard scrambled, Raymond kept his composure. He quietly raised his left hand toward the sky.
One reason the emperors of the Philius Empire had no choice but to take the field personally—he would demonstrate it once more.
"In the name of the Emperor! I promise and imprint victory upon this land—the Empire shall not rout!"
⟨ Imperial Brand ⟩
A golden aura erupted from his left hand, piercing the heavens, as the imperial crest bathed the vast sky in its glow.
The eyes of the Imperial Army, loyal to the Philius Empire and the imperial family, shone gold, radiant energy surging through their bodies.
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
Though cut off and isolated, their sagging morale soared to the skies once more.
With the Imperial Brand's activation, the tide turned. The emperor fought fearlessly at the vanguard, spurring the Imperial Army. Empowered by the superior buff, they cleaved through Belphian's forward defenses.
As the forward lines split, the path to the enemy's center command opened. Viscount Denitz seized the moment.
The Philius Empire's command knights waved their banners in unison. Spotting the signal, the knight order commander ordered a full-speed breakthrough toward the enemy headquarters.
"Knight order! Full charge!"
Watching them accelerate, Viscount Denitz issued his next command without pause.
"All forward and central forces, excluding the rearguard—advance at quick march toward the enemy lines until further orders!"
With the command structure exposed, it was time for a full assault. Closing the distance was a wise choice.
As the Philius Empire forces pressed forward, squeezing Belphian's army, the gap narrowed. Dozens of massive magic circles conjured by the Azure Tower and Crimson Tower mages unleashed torrents of scorching flame and biting frost.
Belphian's magical forces weren't negligible, but unlike the Philius Empire—where the Azure Tower Lord and Crimson Tower Lord stood at the front line—the Ensil brothers' deaths had left them without true high mages.
The lack of high-level mages showed in the magical duel. The Crimson Tower Lord and Azure Tower Lord's spells hammered Belphian's ranks relentlessly.
"Gaaah!"
"Arrrgh!"
The sky burned red while extreme cold swept the ground, freezing all in its path. Soldiers fell, and morale plummeted.
The domain mages tried to defend, but they couldn't counter high-tier magic.
The Crimson Tower Lord, Azure Tower Lord, and the Empire's skilled mages dominated the arcane firepower.
"Hah... Retreat! Fall back!"
The rear in shambles, the front collapsed. The knightly noble guarding the command post quailed at the sight of the golden-auraed Imperial Army charging fiercely. He ordered his retainers to retreat and fled first.
"I see the enemy command! Imperial Army, push harder! Glorious victory is at hand!"
Raymond shouted, mana amplifying his voice. Buffed by the Imperial Brand, the Imperial Army repelled Belphian's heavy infantry, regrouped, and prepared to charge.
Soon, the knight order joined, sweeping the enemy lines. They followed close on the heels of the Empire's central heavy infantry, thanks to Viscount Denitz's swift decisions.
Unlike the relentless Philius Empire assault, Belphian's domain army suffered when several knightly nobles abandoned their posts with their retainers, creating a gap of over three thousand troops.
"It's the emperor's banner! He's there!"
"Kill the emperor, and it's over! Charge!"
With the knightly nobles who swore to defend the command post retreating with their men, the remaining guards steeled themselves for a desperate strike at the emperor. In this dire strait, taking the head was their only shot—unfortunate for them, as a sword saint stood by his side.
"Insolent fools! This is before the throne!"
A sharp sword cry rang out, and the swung aura blade rent the knights asunder. Crimson blood sprayed before Gestain, knight corpses piling like mountains.
"Your Majesty! Shall I clear the path?"
Imperial Army commander Cassius stepped forward with the knight order. Inspired by Gestain's prowess, no doubt. Mana gleamed brightly along his raised sword.
"Imperial Knights! Charge! For His Majesty the Emperor!"
Covered by a few mages, the Imperial Knights charged. The command guard's dwindled numbers couldn't hold against the Imperial Brand-empowered knights.
"The enemy commander is down!"
Cassius severed the Belphian domain army commander's head. He had stubbornly held his post to the end, dying with his aides.
With knightly nobles folding their banners and retreating one by one, and their commander slain alongside the shattered headquarters, even the vaunted Belphian domain army couldn't hold.
"Belphian's domain army has lost the will to fight! Over half their units are disintegrating, scattering in all directions!"
A messenger dashed up with the report. Victory was theirs, but the battle raged on. He bore the marks of crossing the chaotic field.
Raymond ordered an aide to fetch him cold water.
"Viscount Denitz requests confirmation on pursuing the routed forces!"
He downed half the chilled water from the glass in one go, steadied his breath, and relayed Viscount Denitz's words.
"Pursuit..."
After a brief deliberation, Raymond spoke.
"Tell Viscount Denitz: no pursuit."
There was no need to expend forces chasing the broken remnants.
Demoralized by the Mountain Duke's death and this defeat, they might surrender—but none would rally back under Belphian's banner.
"Yes! I shall convey Your Majesty's words clearly!"
The messenger saluted crisply, mounted up, and rode off. He'd either find the nearest elite mage for escort or deliver the order to Viscount Denitz himself.
Soon, an assembly banner rose from headquarters, and trumpeters blared horns signaling the same.
Commanders pursuing the fleeing enemy wheeled their troops back to the main formation. The battle ended anticlimactically after the long buildup, but the result was undeniable.
Defeat for Belphian's mighty domain army. The Mountain Duke's vacancy was one thing, but the outcome was devastating. The knightly houses' defections would only worsen.
"Your Majesty! Congratulations on the victory!"
Cassius approached with felicitations. Raymond nodded in response, unable to hide his bitter feelings.
This had been civil war, strictly speaking. Victory or not, it was a wound that sapped the empire's strength. A pyrrhic triumph at best.